Chen Gong led Ji Ling and Chen Lan to lead 3,000 soldiers to Chaohu.

on board the warship.

Cao Shuo stood at the bow of the boat, looking ahead.

Zhao Yun walked over quickly: "Son, they are here." ”

Cao Shuo turned around and saw Chen Gongzheng walking towards Ji Ling and Chen Lan.

"Childe!" When they arrived, Chen Gong and the others bowed and saluted.

"No need to be polite." Cao Shuo raised his hand, and his eyes fell on Chen Lan: "This general is ......"

"This is General Chen Lan." Chen Gong said: "General Lei and Wen Yuan went downstream. ”

"It turned out to be General Chen!" Cao Shuo smiled and arched his hand and said: "The general suppressed bandits in Lujiang and made great contributions to the Han Dynasty, I originally planned to catch the wind for General Chen and General Lei in Shouchun, but I didn't expect Chaohu to make such a fuss." ”

Chen Lan hurriedly clenched his fists and bowed down and said: "I've seen Gongzi, as long as the Chaohu water thieves are exterminated, there will be no more thieves in Gongzi's governance." ”

"There will always be thieves at all times." Cao Shuo smiled and said: "There are bullies in the countryside, and there are splashes in the towns, but those people don't gather together like thieves." ”

"That's what Childe said." Chen Lan replied: "The thieves are playing tricks in the realm of Gongzi, and what awaits them must be a dead end." ”

Smiling slightly, Cao Shuo said, "Cheng Chen's auspicious words." ”

He asked Chen Gong again: "Why didn't Gongtai go downstream, but instead divided his troops and came to Chaohu Lake?" ”

"There are not many local defenders in Chao County." Chen Gong said: "Once the water thieves are exterminated, it is difficult to guarantee that no one on the shore will be in trouble with the water thieves. I brought the troops back, but it was just to respond to the son. ”

"It's still thoughtful from the public station." Cao Shuo asked again: "How many troops did General Lei and Wen Yuan lead in total?" ”

"General Lei and General Chen gathered four or five thousand people in Tianzhu Mountain." Chen Gong said: "Later, the two generals recruited many bandits, with a number of nearly six thousand. I brought 3,000 people, and Wenyuan and they brought them downstream, to say the least, there were 13,000 people. ”

"Isn't it too exciting to go to so many people?" Zhao Yun said to Cao Shuo on the side: "It's just to exterminate the water thieves." ”

"Little water thief, you have caused a lot of trouble." Cao Shuo said to Zhao Yun: "Zilong, don't underestimate them. If I don't put on such a posture, others will not know my determination to suppress the bandits. After this time, if the thieves in Huainan and other places want to gather, they have to weigh it. ”

"When the water thieves are exterminated, Childe can go down the paperwork." Chen Gong said: "Thieves from all over the world who are willing to submit to their sons will be forgiven for their sins. Whoever refuses to submit, the army will surely go to the crusade. With both grace and power, there will be no more thieves in all parts of Gongzi's rule. ”

"That's what the public station said." Cao Shuo said: "I sent a lot of small boats, but I didn't even send back any news. I don't know where the water thieves are hiding. ”

"Childe." Chen Lan said: "I see that there are some places in the water of Chaohu Lake where there are overgrown aquatic plants, and they must be hiding there. ”

"I've sent someone there, too." Cao Shuo said: "There is still no trace. ”

"Childe, do you want to try setting fire?" Chen Lan proposed.

"Set fire to the water?" Zhao Yun smiled slightly: "General Chen said that he laughed, I'm afraid that the fire will be extinguished by the water before it burns." ”

"What General Chen said is actually right." Cao Shuo said: "We can really try this method. ”

"How is Childe going to make the fire burn?" Zhao Yun said: "Even if you use oil, it is impossible to start a fire on the water. ”

"There's nothing wrong with setting fires on the water." Cao Shuo said: "As long as one piece burns, the rest of the world will definitely follow." After all, aquatic plants are also grasses. ”

"Pass the order." Cao Shuo instructed Cai Ji on the side: "Find a few broken ships, fill them with oil, and light them to push into the places where the water and grass are luxuriant." Keep your archers on the lookout and shoot them with rockets as soon as someone appears! ”

Cai Ji answered the order and went.

Cao Shuo said to Zhao Yun and others: "If you set fire on the water surface, what will affect the fire is nothing more than water. All we have to burn is the grass that is out of the water, and what happens under the water is not our business. ”

"As long as all the aquatic plants are burned, it will be difficult for the water thieves to hide." Chen Gong said: "Once they show their heads, Gongzi can lead the naval army to meet the head-on attack. If they hide in the water and refuse to come out, they will be burned alive by the fire. ”

"I'm afraid they'll run down the river and escape from Chaohu." Cao Shuo said: "Once they are let go, they will come back here in the future to cause trouble, so it is very important that the downstream can stop it." ”

"Do you want to wait...... Chen Gong asked.

"No waiting." Cao Shuo instructed Zhao Yun: "Order the two big ships to go to the downstream exit and block the retreat of the water thieves, and we will go first." ”

Zhao Yun left in response.

It didn't take long for the two warships to leave the shore with more than a dozen small boats and head east.

"Since the public platform is here, the shore will be handed over to you." Cao Shuo said to Chen Gong: "Anyone who harbors water thieves, or maliciously obstructs the bandits, will be guilty of the same crime as water thieves." ”

"Same crime?" Chen Gong asked, "To kill these people or not?" ”

"What do you say?" Cao Shuo grinned.

Chen Gong suddenly clenched his fists and said, "Don't worry, Childe, I'll go ashore and issue documents." ”

Chen Gong and the others left the warship.

Chen Lan asked him: "Just now, Gongzi only said that obstructing the bandits is the same crime as the water bandits, should they kill or not?" ”

Looking at Chen Lan, Chen Gong said: "The meaning of the prince is already very clear, didn't General Chen see it?" ”

Chen Lan shook her head in confusion.

"Childe means kill." Chen Gong said: "As long as you obstruct the bandits or shield the water bandits, they will be killed!" ”

"It seems that Gongzi is going to kill in Chaohu." Ji Ling said: "Since coming to Huainan, Gongzi has never given such an order. Didn't he often say that Huainan was short of people, and he also encouraged childbearing, and even encouraged various places to attract foreign population? ”

"Childe wants to be obedient to the people, not Diao Min." Chen Gong said: "Shunmin can share the worries of the son, but Diao Min is for his own interests, and he does not hesitate to harm others and the son." If Diao Min doesn't kill, how can Gongzi live a stable life in Huainan and other places? ”

Chen Lan and Ji Ling glanced at each other, and each of them showed a sudden look.

On the warship, Cao Shuo raised his hand and pointed to the reeds in the distance, and gave the order to start suppressing the bandits: "Pass the order, the fire boat will set off, and burn the reeds!" ”

A moment later, several boats each pulled a boat in the direction of the reeds.

The boat towed by the boat is nothing unusual from the outside.

However, the sailors on the ships knew that the boats were full of fuel, and if they threw a torch into it, they would immediately burst into flames.

The boat was getting closer and closer to the reeds, and the soldiers of the Cao army on the warship also raised their crossbows one after another, aiming at the reeds that didn't look abnormal.

(End of chapter)